Soapbox: Communicating the Wonder of Modern Children's Literature

Colleen Mondor has suggested that this week be dedicated by the litblogosphere to "posting loud and long about those things that have been driving them crazy in the publishing world." A number of people chimed in yesterday on various topics, and Colleen has a round-up of excerpts here. (Speaking of Colleen, did you see that she got Jules, Eisha, and me mentioned on GalleyCat?)

Just to get the ball rolling for the soapbox discussions, Colleen listed a variety of issues that have percolating. The one that is currently getting under my skin (also discussed briefly in yesterday's Sunday Visits post) concerns the lack of broader knowledge about modern-day children's and young adult literature and the blogs that focus on that literature. This post stems partly from a post that Carlie Webber (Librarilly Blonde) recently linked to on the parenting blog Babble, and partly from my recent experience attending the BlogHer conference in San Francisco.

The blog entry that Carlie cited is Where Oh Where is Superfudge by Rachel Shukert. And the gist of Shukert's post is that "Kids' books aren't what they used to be". She waxes nostalgic for several thirty-year-old books about "average kids with real-world problems" and suggests that "the Young Adult section has become ... downright aristocratic." She seems particularly bothered by the amount of press that Gossip Girl has received in the mainstream media, and the message sent by the Gossip Girl books and other similar titles. She laments the lionization of privilege, and says that "in the New Children's Literature it's the hapless middle-classes — the normal kids — who ruin the fun, through either graceless social-climbing or trenchantly decrying the excess and shallowness that make being wealthy so delicious, so desirable, so sympathetic." Her proposed solution is to "By all means, give them (kids) Gossip Girl, but rescue all those Carter-era stories of latchkey kids and public school and Native American girls abandoned on islands off the coast of California as well. For the littler ones, dust off Free To Be You and Me."

Seriously? The best solution she can come up with to counteract the messages in Gossip Girl is to go back to 30-year-old literature? I have nothing against offering up the occasional classic to today's kids (if they enjoy it), and I am certainly in favor of providing kids with a diversity of literature about people of all races and classes. But ... hello! There are hundreds of current books that fit the latter description in bookstores and libraries today.

Just ask any children's librarian or independent bookseller for suggestions. They will offer you books like the Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker (illustrated chapter books aimed at early elementary school kids). Clementine lives in an apartment in Boston, where her father is the building super. She sees her parents worrying about paying the bills. When she wants to buy her mother a present, she has to work and save and borrow to come up with the money. The books aren't about the fact that her family is working class - they are about her, and that happens to be her background. It's just the kind of thing that Rachel Shukert seems to be looking for, and anyone in the Kidlitosphere could have told her about Clementine in a heartbeat. (See also Liz B's post on this subject at Tea Cozy, in which she asks readers to help compile a "List of YA/middle grade books, written in the past few years, that do not have Rich Kids as the main character".)

I don't mean to criticize Rachel Shukert. I think she's trying to do something good. She sees all of the books in the bookstore and on the NY Times bestseller lists that feature unattainable wealth, and she wants something more realistic for kids. The thing that frustrates me - that keeps me up at night -is that people like Shukert are steering their children towards older books (however lovely those books are) because they don't know about what's available today. While at the same time the children's book blogging community is filled with people writing in-depth, thoughtful reviews of current titles, and jumping up and down to help parents find these titles for their kids. There's a disconnect here that simply MUST be addressed.

This past Saturday I attended one day of the BlogHer Conference in San Francisco. It was a lot of fun - you get a great energy going when you have 1000 women in one place who are all passionate about blogging. I met a few nice people, with whom I will be be following up, and some of those people were interested in the idea that I blog about children's books. But I have to admit that overall I felt marginalized at BlogHer. There seemed to be forums for mommy bloggers (by far the biggest sub-group), craft bloggers, personal bloggers (people who share their thoughts and/or details about their lives), and tech bloggers. But I certainly didn't meet any other book review bloggers (children or adult), and I didn't find a whole lot in the sessions that spoke directly to the type of blogging that I do. (Anne-Marie Nichols was there, but by the time I learned of this, it was too late to try to meet her, and too big a conference to find her at random). It was a far, far cry from the Chicago KidLit conference, and even from ALA (although ALA is a much bigger conference). The place I was most comfortable, people-wise, was the PBS table in the exhibit hall.

I'm not blaming the BlogHer organizers for my ... disconnection with the larger conference. I think that they do a great job of organizing. I was probably not there long enough to really get comfortable (I was unable to stay for the evening social event), and I didn't try hard enough to meet people. I also think that if I want the Kidlitosphere to be part of the larger blogging discussion, then perhaps next year I need to get some people together for a panel (or someone does). Because here again, similar to the situation with the Babble post, we have a whole bunch of people who blog, many of whom are passionate about how they are raising their kids, and as far as I can tell, they have only the vaguest notion that children's book blogs exist. And that's a shame. Because we do have some amazing resources here in the Kidlitosphere.

I don't have the answers, in terms of making the Kidlitosphere more broadly known. I think that the general issue is that doing that is going to require time, and many of us are already spending all the time we can on our blogs. We're hardly looking to take time away from the blogs themselves, to reach out to other people, people who don't seem that interested anyway.

I feel like I have this magical room full of free stuff, wonderful stuff that gets automatically replenished every day. And people are walking by outside of my room, people who would love this stuff if they knew about it. But they don't happen to look inside, and I don't have time to stand by the window to ask them to come in.

What do you all think?

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

Comments

[beth Kephart]

Perhaps it was something in the stratosphere, but I too find myself blogging (of late) about things that are getting under my writer/reader skin, especially in the YA realm — brand name novels, for one thing. "Shame" as applied to the YA author category as another.

My posts can be found on www.beth-kephart.blogspot.com, on the off chance that you have a moment to stop by.

Best,

Beth

[JSC]

In regards to blogging Moms not finding you, I have to say I had a hard time finding you. Two months ago I wanted to find a good kids lit blog as I have a 2.5 year old but nothing good showed up when I did a Google search. I have so many library based blogs in my reader you were finally suggested two weeks ago.

[Jen Robinson]

I'll check your stuff out, Beth. Thanks! There does seem to be something in the air recently, that's making everyone introspective.

And JSC, thanks so much for taking time to comment. Your remarks exactly prove my point. Sometimes I feel like like my blog is relatively well-known, and it is, but it's well-known within this community of bloggers who are already publishing children's book reviews. That is not at all the same as being known by other people, such as parents. And I think that the responsibility is absolutely on me to figure out how to reach out more, and make my blog easier to find, and make the content more useful, etc. I'm glad that you did find it, though, and I hope it's helping you to find what you're looking for. Thanks!

[beth kephart]

Jen,

Thanks so much for your words on my blog. Yes. I understand your reticence in blogging about YA shame. I applaud your constraint.

I was thinking about how I discovered you (while thinking about the other commenter here) and it was through Amazon. I read some of your reviews, felt you to be an astute reviewer and someone whose opinion I might trust. It made me curious, and so I looked for your blog.

[Becky]

As far as connecting book bloggers with mommy bloggers (or teacher bloggers, homeschool bloggers, etc.) the only solution I see is that individual bloggers make the effort to visit outside their own. I think the issue is similar to that of how to make your blog known in any circle.

Individual bloggers have to make the effort to visit those blogs, leave comments, join in on conversations. Maybe there are carnivals that would apply in this circle as well??? It may be a matter of getting on a few blogrolls to bring in new readers. I don't know. I don't know if other bloggers pay attention to blog rolls or not. But I know that if I enjoy a blog, I'm curious about what blogs that blogger follows and recommends. It's not that every blog would be a good match or a good find. But there are some gems out there.

There isn't a quick and easy way to make connections, especially lasting connections, between communities. It's a matter of effort and chance.

I don't know if anyone has ever had any luck with listing their blogs. (I don't think I've had any, but I haven't tried lately.) But yahoo subject guides and such might maybe work if they could be crosslisted. I don't know if they could though.

[Tasses]

Ha! When I read that article by Rachel Shukert (can't remember how I saw it), I wanted to scream. You are being kind in your words. I thought she was totally misinformed and sounded like an old school marm screaming, "these kids today" and "back in my day."

I publish 3 blogs. My children's literature site (for teachers, parents and homeschoolers), though relatively new, is lucky to get 10 hits a week. In fact, it has been so disheartening, I've almost thrown in the towel.

There are so many things parents can learn from children's literature aficionados. When I was a young mother I would have been thrilled to read all the great things you post on this blog. I subscribe to 35 children's literature blogs and they are fantastic people who LOVE kiddie lit.

I began collecting children's books at yard sales when my son was a baby. He's now 27. I honestly believe it was my passion about children's books that led me toward teaching (and those great summer hours). Now that I'm no longer teaching in a classroom, I still love the books, still have extreme respect for children's authors .... I better get off the soapbox. I'm preaching to the choir.

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for sharing that, Beth. It's a good data point for me.

And Becky, I know that you're right. It's just hard to put in that time, instead of actually blogging. Especially if you don't have kids - it's not as natural a fit to visit some of these other blogs. But you're right - it's all about building community, and if I think that the community should stretch further, than I need to reach out to make it happen.

Tasses, I like your soapbox (of course I did, because I agree with you about the Kidlitosphere, and having a passion for children's books). You can visit this soapbox any time on my blog. I do think it's hard to start a new children's book blog, and get attention for it, because there are quite a few out there already. But I've added yours to my reader. Thanks for visiting!!

[Jennifer, Snapshot]

One thing that surprises people when they start blogging is the community. Because there is a community, there are ins and outs. It's sad, but I think that's the way it is: One of the coolest surprises about maintaining a blog--the community--can also quickly become one of the things that can make you feel badly when you feel as if you are out of the community.

I've heard the same thing said about BlogHer--that if your blog doesn't fit into one of the niches, that you're sort of out of place.

That said, when I started blogging, being the booklover I am, I had no trouble at all finding the kidlitosphere. I'm not sure which site I found first, but once I found one, I was lead to a treasure-trove of resources.

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for chiming in, Jennifer. I think that your perspective is especially helpful, since you do participate quite a bit in the "mommy blog" community (with "5 Minutes for Mom", etc.).

And I do agree with you about community. The feeling of belonging where you are is so wonderful - why would anyone feel the need to reach out to some other community, even if there might be some overlap of content? But if you don't reach out, well, you can't complain when you don't know a lot of people in the other communities, can you? (As at BlogHer).

Anyway, it's great to hear from you!

[Charlotte]

I just followed the blog trail to Jennifer's column, Five Minutes for Books--it's part of the Five Minutes for Mom site. On the last Tuesday of each month, there's a What's On Your Nightstand book sharing opportunity:

http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/89/whats-on-your-nightstand/

If I remember, I'll participate this month...it seems a good way of reaching readers outside of the kidlitosphere, and easy to do. Because none of us, I guess, have enough time to individually visit countless parenting blogs to let them know that we are here.

[Jen Robinson]

That's a good idea, Charlotte. I tend not to do well with scheduled things like that, but I think it will be great if you remember to participate. For my part, Jennifer's asked me to do a guest post at Five Minutes for Books, and you may be sure that I was quick to say yes. But you're certainly right that the last thing any of us has time for is to visit lots of other individual blogs...

[Charlotte]

That's great news that you're doing a guest post there--it will accomplish in one fell swoop the work of lots of little comments!

But I'll still try to remember to go do the sharing thing myself...

[Jen Robinson]

Every little bit helps, I think, Charlotte!

[Anne-Marie]

I had no idea that you were looking for me. Darn it! Next year we'll have to convene a "birds of a feather" session for book bloggers - everything from mom bloggers who do book reviews, to foodies who review cookbooks, business book reviewers, and the few of us kidlit folks. (I'm in all the catagories, go figure.)

And next year - and yes you should go - let's make a date to meet or something. I always need a roommate too, which was fun this year. My current roommate (Jenette Fulda, author of the book "Half Assed") got to meet my past roommates from BlogHer and BlogWorld.

BlogHer is overwhelming, especially now that it's so big. I totally felt out of it last year, so I made plans to get in touch with several people and to go to the Unconference where you can meet more people one on one. The parties are fun but crazy. I was so overwhelmed that I was in bed by midnight. Unheard of at BlogHer!

[Jen Robinson]

Hi Anne-Marie,

Totally my fault. I didn't plan ahead for the conference well enough, and didn't realize that you were speaking until I sat down to look at the brochure on Friday. I figured you were already at the conference, so I trusted in trying to find you. Which was a tactical error, as I've learned. But yes, a birds of a feather related to book blogging would be wonderful for next year. And more planning ahead/scheduling times to meet people, too. I actually did do that at ALA last month, and that was a very positive experience, connection-wise.

I had no idea you were rooming with Jenette. Knowing that makes the conference seem smaller - I saw her speak on the book panel.

Anyway, thanks for writing. And I'll look forward to trying to meet you next year (or, you should come to the KidLit conference, too).